Mass. Congressman pushes fish relief

BOSTON (AP) — A Massachusetts Congressman is proposing legislation that helps the nation's fishermen with money collected from tariffs on imported fish.

U.S. Rep. John Tierney's bill deals with money collected as part of the Saltonstall-Kennedy Act of 1954.

It allocates a percentage of the tariffs to benefit the industry. But Tierney says the money — more than $100 million each of the last two years — has been inappropriately sent to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's operations fund.

He says in fiscal year 2014, the money should go to fishermen in regions where fisheries disasters were declared in 2012, including New England. Tierney says future money should improve fisheries research, which would be directed be regional committees.

A similar proposal was made last year. Tierney's bill comes as local fishermen face catastrophic catch limit cuts.